About the Author

Kirst Joscelyne

Ranger

At less than a year old, Kirst went to her family’s hut in the Greater Kruger National Park, and has been fortunate enough to continue to go there ever since. Sharing a passion for the bush with her family, led to countless trips ...

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32 Comments

on Breaking The Bias

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Congratulations to all the past and current lady rangers, job well done!! May we continue hand in hand.

Thank you William!

Senior Digital Ranger

Super blog Kirst.
We should have those words : we are who we allow ourselves to be – tattooed on the inside of one of our arms -and look at them every day. Oftentimes we are our own worst enemy and allow our own thoughts to hold us back. Through my career I only ever found people ready and willing to support me and acknowledge my achievements . Good luck with your wonderful chapter as ranger !

Thanks Jane! We really are fortunate in our work and where and who we get to work with!

What a fantastic article!!! Thank you for sharing all the information and insights; splendid!!!

With pleasure Melinda! Thank you for reading it!

On our first visit to Londolozi, we had Jess as our Ranger and she was amazing. This past July, we had you, Kirst, and we could not have asked for a better experience. The passion and excitement shown by these two amazing women is infectious and made for very special experiences for me and my family.

Thanks David! Hope that you are doing well! Thank you so much for the feedback! We hope you and your family do manage to come back some time soon

Such a great article!! I graduated from my FGASA course last year and I definitely saw that there is a LOT of bias in the guiding industry (not to mention in research and conservation) that still needs to be overcome.

Thanks so much Callum! Certainly is still some way to go but definitely a change in recent years

Great blog, First. Next time I come to Londolozi, I would like to be guided by one of you women rangers.
When booking a private vehicle, is it possible to make a request for a certain guide?

Of course Christa! If you would like a specific guide just email the reservations team and your request will be passed along! We look forward to having you back hopefully soon!

Lovely Kirst, thank you! You nail it exactly right….

Thank you Irene

Happy Women’s day! Beautiful tale Kirst, well written, very passionate. Is there still any ranger that’s focused on botany? I feel plants and flowers are sometimes underrated but I may be well wrong. Wow a Majingilane male, what an encounter!

Thank you Francesca! I know that during the summer months it is definitely a more favoruable time to view flowers in particular. Most rangers do have a good knowledge of botany and flowers but can at times be overlooked as they seem so small!

Kirst I think you Lady guides are doing a wonderful job as a guide to all the guests at Londolozi. You have all done your training and now you all can go out there and show everyone that you are more than worthy to be a guide. You face the same challenges as the men, and are more than capable to handle any situation that arises. Well done Ladies!!! You are fantastic and keep up the good work. Womanhood stands together.

Valmai thank you! We certainly have a great presence of womanhood!

A great, very appropriate post for today. Londolozi was the second lodge I visited more than 20 years ago, and though I don’t recall her name, I do recall being guided by a woman. She did a fabulous job, had great, memorable stories and made my first experience at Londolozi outstanding.

Wow Jeff, that’s amazing to hear! We are glad you had a wonderful and hope to have you back some time soon!

Kirst, wonderful blog! We wondered how far back the revelation came to Londolozi that gender should not be a factor in ranger selection. Lucie fought that problem of the “glass ceiling” but broke through in the late 80’s. Nice to hear that parts of the international community saw the light as well! Has there ever been a female tracker?

Thank you Bob and Lucie, there hasn’t been a female tracker just yet but who knows what the future holds… I do know that there has been some female trackers that have qualified through the Tracker Academy in recent years, so I am sure that they will be female trackers in the future.

Kirst, Thanks for creating such a wonderful story and history of women in your industry! We believe that Londolozi is a great example of “breaking the bias“ and we hope you and other women will not feel their own insecurities – we know that all of the women and men that have guided us over the years all stand proudly as equals!

Thank you Michael and Terri, it was amazing to go through the history over the years and piece it all together.

I would not have guessed this was even a thing with rangers. I would not have even given it a second thought if we had a female ranger on our safari! I’m so glad that it’s becoming NOT a thing! If I could go back, I would be a ranger. And I LOVE this quote btw: Equality isn’t about being equal in what you do but rather about having an equal opportunity to do something. Thank you for the blog!

Anita, thank you for taking the time to read it!

Beautifully said and represented. All of you rangers impressed me when I was there. I was just super jealous and inspired and served and enjoyed every minute of all of you.

Thanks Patrick, we hope to welcome you back soon.

Love your line that reads ‘Equality isn’t about being equal in what you do but about having an equal opportunity to do something’., Kirst. 🙏🏻💕 You are very fortunate to be in an environment that recognizes this and which has allowed you great lady rangers to follow your dreams and be equal in every way. I wish for all the women in not so fortunate circumstances to have this same opportunity in the future. To all women, great or small in what ever they take on..a belated Happy Women’s Day and to being recognized for the part they play. ❤️

Cally thank you so much! We are certainly fortunate to be a part of an incredible team

Hi Kirst, I can’t believe I missed your post last year, so will comment now. I found your essay thought provoking and a testament to those women who, through belief in themselves, break through the bias (glass ceiling). It is difficult to achieve in many professions, but especially in the environment of safari camps. After many safaris, over 30 years, it wasn’t until I visited a neighboring camp in 2018, that I met a couple of female guides. One of them turned out to guide me 3 years later and at the same time, I was fortunate enough to have you and Lucky as my team! There is no difference between male/female guides I’ve learned, as long as they continue to feel and live the passion of guiding. Kudos to all the women of Londolozi, in all positions, and may you all continue to thrive!

Well written article, Kirst! Jess Boon and you are our two favorite rangers of all time, at any camp, in any country. Since Jess is no longer available, you’re it!!! We’ll be back in 2024.

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